osteoporosis vs osteonecrosis

Jan 2, 2009

I am a 36 yo woman, have been hiv + for last 13 years, on haart for 5 yrs. I have had bone problems since child 8 years old. I would get bone tumours if I banged myself hard, mainly knees & feet. The tumours had to be surgically removed. 8 years ago, I fell, broke my ankle in 3 places and the Tibia in my rt leg. Recently have had acj joint removed in shoulder due to osteoarthritis and also had ac decompression. Recently I am having terrible pain in my hips more on left side than right. I told my GP about it and he has referred me to HIV DR but I am nervous to see him. After doing some internet research I have bdeduced the possibility of either osteonecrosis or osteoporosis. The former thankfully is rarer.

My question is, how can you differentiate between the 2 and what is the chance of a wrong diagnosis of one rather than the other as treatments can be very different.
Thank you

Response from Dr. Henry

Osteonecrosis is a more acute serious process often involving the hipe joints (often termed aseptic necrosis of the hip) which appears to be somewhat more common in HIV persons with a vareity of contributing factors (both HIV-related and non-HIV related). Osteopenia is often a more diffuse loss of calcium/bone strength (if more severe termed osteoporosis). That process usually is a chronic process and is common in aging and more common in HIV+ persons of both sexes. Exercise, Ca and vitamin D, and phosphonates often are used to stabilize and reverse that process. X-rays and DEXA scans as well as history and physical examination can generally distinguish between osteonecrosis and osteoporosis. KH

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.